Taliban
The Taliban (/ˈtælɪbæn, ˈtɑːlɪbɑːn/; Pashto: طَالِبَانْ, romanized: ṭālibān, lit. 'students'), which also refers to itself by its state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,[79][80][a] is an Afghan militant movement in Afghanistan with an ideology comprising elements of Pashtun nationalism and the Deobandi current of Islamic fundamentalism.[83][84][85][8][9] It ruled approximately three-quarters of the country from 1996 to 2001, before being overthrown following the American invasion. It recaptured Kabul on 15 August 2021 following the departure of most coalition forces, after nearly 20 years of insurgency, and currently controls all of the country. Its government is not recognized by any country. The Taliban government has been internationally condemned for restricting human rights in Afghanistan, including the right of women and girls to work and to have an education.[86]
For other uses, see Taliban (disambiguation).Taliban
- Mohammed Omar # (1994–2013)
- Akhtar Mansour † (2015–2016)
- Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present)
- 1994–1996 (militia)
- 1996–2001 (1st government)
- 2002–2021 (insurgency)
- 2021–present (2nd government)
Kandahar (1994–2001; 2021–present)
Afghanistan
Subgroups
Haqqani network (since 1995)- Jamaat al-Dawah ila al-Quran wal-Sunnah (since 2010)
- Tora Bora Military Front (since 2016)[28]
Imam Bukhari Jamaat (since 2017)- High Council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (since 2021)
China
(alleged by the US, but denied by China)[29]
Iran
(alleged, but denied by Iran)[30]
Pakistan
(alleged, but denied by Pakistan)[31][10][32][33]
Qatar
(alleged by Saudi Arabia)[34][35]
Russia
(alleged, but denied by Russia)[36]
Saudi Arabia
(alleged by the US)[37][35]
Turkmenistan
(until 2001)[38]
United Arab Emirates
(until 2001)[39]
Chechnya
(1994–2000)[40]
Hamas[41][42]
Turkistan Islamic Party
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (anti-ISIS faction)[43][44]
Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin[45] (denied from 2016–2021,[46] openly since 2021)[47]
Lashkar-e-Taiba[48] (occasional support)[49]- Al-Qaeda[50] (currently denied)[51]
- Jamaat Ansarullah[52] (denied)[53]
Jaish-e-Mohammed[48] (denied)[54][55]
Pakistani Taliban[56][57] (denied)[58]- Islamic Jihad Union
Ansar al-Islam in Kurdistan
Harkat-ul-Mujahideen
Al-Badr
Caucasian Front- Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (denied)
- Hizb ut-Tahrir (sometimes)
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi
Caucasus Emirate
Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi- Katibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad
State and intergovernmental opponents
Islamic State of Afghanistan (1994–2002)
NATO (2001–2021)[59]
United States (2001–2021)
Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (2002–2004)
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (2004–2021)[60]
National Resistance Front of Afghanistan
Jamiat-e Islami- Afghanistan Freedom Front
- Islamic State – Khorasan Province[61][62][63]
- Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (ISIS allied faction)[64]
- Fidai Mahaz (sometimes 2016–2021, no fighting since 2021)
- High Council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (2015–2021)[65]
The Taliban emerged in September 1994 as one of the prominent factions in the Afghan Civil War and largely consisted of students (ṭālib) from the Pashtun areas of eastern and southern Afghanistan who had been educated in traditional Islamic schools (madāris). Under the leadership of Mullah Omar (r. 1996–2001), the movement spread throughout most of Afghanistan, shifting power away from the Mujahideen warlords. In 1996, the group administered roughly three-quarters of the country, and established the First Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The Taliban's government was opposed by the Northern Alliance militia, which seized parts of northeast Afghanistan and largely maintained international recognition as a continuation of the interim Islamic State of Afghanistan. The Taliban held control of most of the country until being overthrown after the United States invasion of Afghanistan in December 2001. Many members of the Taliban fled to neighboring Pakistan.
After being overthrown, the Taliban launched an insurgency to fight the US-backed Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in the War in Afghanistan. In May 2002, exiled members formed the Council of Leaders (Rahbarī Shūrā) based in the city of Quetta in Pakistan. Under Hibatullah Akhundzada's leadership, in May 2021, the Taliban launched a military offensive, that culminated in the Fall of Kabul on 15 August 2021 and the Taliban regaining control of Afghanistan. The Islamic Republic was dissolved and the Islamic Emirate was reestablished.
During their rule from 1996 to 2001, the Taliban enforced a strict interpretation of Sharia, or Islamic law,[87] and were widely condemned for massacres against Afghan civilians, harsh discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities, denial of UN food supplies to starving civilians, destruction of cultural monuments, banning women from school and most employment, and prohibition of most music.[88] The Taliban committed a cultural genocide against the Afghan people by destroying their historical and cultural texts, artifacts and sculptures.[89] Following their return to power in 2021, the Afghanistan government budget lost 80% of its funding and food insecurity became widespread.[88] The Taliban returned Afghanistan to many policies implemented under its previous rule, including banning women from holding almost any jobs, requiring women to wear head-to-toe coverings such as the burqa, blocking women from travelling without male guardians, and banning all education for girls.[90][91][92]
Etymology
The word Taliban is Pashto, طَالِباَنْ (ṭālibān), meaning 'students', the plural of ṭālib. This is a loanword from Arabic طَالِبْ (ṭālib), using the Pashto plural ending -ān اَنْ.[93] (In Arabic طَالِبَانْ (ṭālibān) means not 'students' but rather 'two students', as it is a dual form, the Arabic plural being طُلَّابْ (ṭullāb)—occasionally causing some confusion to Arabic speakers.) Since becoming a loanword in English, Taliban, besides a plural noun referring to the group, has also been used as a singular noun referring to an individual. For example, John Walker Lindh has been referred to as "an American Taliban", rather than "an American Talib" in domestic media. This is different in Afghanistan, where a member or a supporter of the group is referred to as a Talib (طَالِبْ) or its plural Talib-ha (طَالِبْهَا). In other definitions, Taliban means 'seekers'.[94]
In English, the spelling Taliban has gained predominance over the spelling Taleban.[95][96] In American English, the definite article is used, the group is referred to as "the Taliban", rather than "Taliban". In English-language media in Pakistan, the definite article is always omitted.[97] Both Pakistani and Indian English-language media tend to name the group "Afghan Taliban",[98][99] thus distinguishing it from the Pakistani Taliban. Additionally, in Pakistan, the word Talibans is often used when referring to more than one Taliban member.
In Afghanistan, the Taliban is frequently called the گرُوهْ طَالِبَانْ (Goroh-e Taleban), Dari term which means 'Taliban group'.[100] As per Dari/Persian grammar, there is no "the" prefix. Meanwhile, in Pashto, a determiner is normally used and as a result, the group is normally referred to as per Pashto grammar: دَ طَالِبَانْ (Da Taliban) or دَ طَالِبَانُو (Da Talibano).
In popular media
The Taliban were portrayed in Khaled Hosseini's popular 2003 novel The Kite Runner[544] and its 2007 film adaption. The Taliban have also been portrayed in American film, most notably in Lone Survivor (2013) which is based on a real-life story.[545] Hindi cinema have also portrayed the Taliban in Kabul Express (2006),[546] and Escape from Taliban (2003) which is based on a real-life novel A Kabuliwala's Bengali Wife,[547] whose author Sushmita Banerjee was shot dead by the Taliban in 2013.[548]